This invention relates to electric dry shavers and, more particularly, to improving long hair and short hair cutting systems for shavers.
Over the last several years, both men and women have been increasingly drawn to the advantages provided by electric dry shavers. In general, the consuming public has found that the use of razors or other systems is extremely inconvenient for removing or shaving long hair and/or short hair or stubble, as commonly found in men""s beards and women""s legs. In addition, with the ever increasing time constraints and commitments individuals typically encounter, a fast and effective shaving system is most desirable.
The discomfort as well as the time consumed in using shaving creams, soaps and gels, in order to provide a medium for which a razor can be used, requires more time and inconvenience than most individuals are willing or capable of experiencing. Furthermore, the cost of maintaining a sufficient supply of these products creates an additional burden. Consequently, electric dry shavers have become increasingly popular, as well as battery-operated electric dry shavers which can withstand exposure to moisture, thereby enabling individuals to simultaneously shower, as well as shaving their beard or legs.
As the popularity of using electric dry shavers increased, numerous product designs with alternate constructions proliferated, in an attempt to improve and enhance the comfort and cutting efficiency of such shavers. However, in spite of these products, difficulties have continued to exist in providing optimum results with optimum comfort.
One particular shaver construction has been found to be extremely efficacious in achieving high-quality shaving results, as well as being extremely comfortable to use. This configuration comprises the various models of electric dry shavers incorporating a movable cutting blade which cooperates with a thin, flexible mesh screen or apertured foil.
In operation, the cutting blades are rapidly and continuously reciprocally moved past one side of the mesh screen or apertured foil, causing the cutting blades to repeatedly cross the plurality of apertures and provide a virtually continuous cutting action at each aperture. Then, by slidingly guiding the other side of the mesh screen or apertured foil over the skin surface to be shaved, the individual hair shafts enter the holes formed in the screen or foil and are cut by the movement of the cutting blades.
Although this dry shaving cutting system has proven to be extremely effective, as compared to other dry shaving products, one important area of difficulty does exist. This area of difficulty is found in the shaving of longer hair fibers, typically encountered on men""s necks and women""s legs, and anytime an individual does not shave consistently in regular intervals.
In many instances where the longer hair shafts are encountered, the movement of the mesh screen or apertured foil over the skin surface causes the hair fibers to bend, preventing the terminating end of the hair from entering the mesh screen or apertured foil. As a result, these longer hair fibers are not cut and remain on the skin surface.
In an attempt to eliminate this prior art deficiency, many prior art electric dry shavers incorporate separate hair trimming assemblies which are independently formed on the shaver for being separately activated when necessary. Typically, these hair trimmers have a single OFF position and a single ON position, which enables them to be used separately in specific, limited circumstances. However, these prior art shaver systems are incapable of satisfying the need for having the long hair trimmers actively employed as an integral part of the shaving process.
Although some prior art products have attempted to incorporate trimmers in combination with the cutting foils for being used simultaneously with the shaving action provided by the apertured foil or mesh screen, these systems also suffer from an inability of being usable in all shaving circumstances encountered by the individual. Typically, these trimmers are not movable and are only usable in combination with the apertured foil. Consequently, these prior art systems failed to provide the versatility sought by consumers in an electric dry shaving apparatus.
A further problem found in prior art shavers is the inability of the trimmer to move in a xe2x80x9cfloatingxe2x80x9d manner when passed over the skin surface. As a result, an uncomfortable shave is produced after causing unwanted cuts.
Consequently, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an enhanced electric dry shaver system for use by both men and women for effectively cutting both short hair and long hair in virtually all circumstances encountered by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced electric dry shaving system having the characteristic features described above which is capable of providing a trimmer having a variety of alternate positions, thereby enabling the trimmer to be employed with an apertured foil cutting system regardless of the operation being performed by the aperture foil.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced electric dry shaving system having the characteristic features described above which enables the trimmer to be quickly and easily selectively positioned and maintained in any of its alternate positions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced electric dry shaving system having the characteristic features described above which provides a shaver capable of being vertically flexed or moved during use, thereby achieving a floating action for enhanced comfort.
Other and more specific objects will in part the obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
By employing the present invention, all of the prior art difficulties and drawbacks have been completely eliminated and a substantially improved, close and comfortable shaving system is attained which effectively cuts both short hair and long hair. Furthermore, by employing the present invention, a plurality of different shaving conditions are capable of being easily accommodated, thereby providing the user with a shaving system specifically designed for enabling a wide range of shaving conditions to be easily and effectively handled.
In accordance with the present invention, a separate and independent hair trimmer or trimming assembly is incorporated into the shaver system in direct association with the apertured foil or mesh screen cutting assembly in a manner which enables the hair trimming assemblies is to be employed simultaneously with the apertured foil cutting assemblies whenever desired by the user. In addition, in order to provide added flexibility and multi-purpose functionality, the hair trimming assembly is controllably movable into a variety of alternate positions. In order to assure ease of operation and control, a single, movable, multi-position, switch element is employed for altering the position of the trimmer assembly, placing the trimmer assembly in the precisely desired orientation or location. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the trimmer assembly incorporates a pair of specially constructed cutting elements formed thereon for providing enhancing cutting and/or trimming capabilities in a wide variety of alternate operations.
In order to accommodate the typical variety of conditions experienced by most users of an electric dry shaving system, whether the system is being employed by men or women, it has been found that the hair trimming assembly is preferably able to be placed in at least three alternate positions. In the first desired position, the hair trimming assembly is maintained below the top surface of the mesh screen or apertured foil. In this position, the hair trimming assembly is maintained in a position which enables the apertured foil or mesh screen to provide the desired cutting action, with the hair trimming assembly being positioned in a manner which will not interfere or in any way impede the cutting operation of the apertured foil.
In the second desirable position, the hair trimming assembly is aligned with the upper, arcuately curved, top surface of one apertured foil or mesh screen for enabling the hair trimming assembly to be simultaneously employed with the apertured foil cutting assembly. In this way, both long hair and short hair are capable of being cut simultaneously as the shaver system is passed over any particular area to be shaved.
This construction is particularly useful by women when shaving their legs, which frequently require shaving of both long hair and short hair in the same area. In addition, men who have long and short hairs or whiskers experience a substantially enhanced shave with the trimmer in the second position. In this regard, the activation of the hair trimming assembly into its second position in combination with the apertured foil cutting assembly enables longer hair on beards to be cut partially by the trimmer, with the remaining shorter hair being cut completely by the apertured foil cutting assembly. In this way, substantially improved results are attained.
In a typical third position, the trimmer assembly is raised above the arcuately curved upper surface of the apertured foil cutting assembly, enabling the user to trim long hair fibers separately, without using the cutting action of the apertured foil. This position is typically used by men for cutting or trimming their sideburns, whenever needed.
In accordance with the present invention, each of these desired positions are quickly and easily achieved by the simple movement of a single button or switch. In accordance with this invention, the single rocker button or switch is employed which releases the trimmer assembly for movement from its stored position into the desired alternate positions. In the preferred embodiment, movement of the rocker switch in one direction causes the trimmer to move directly into its second position, aligned with the adjacent foil member. In addition, movement of the rocker switch in its alternate direction causes the trimmer assembly to move directly into its third position whether the trimmer is in its first or second position.
By employing the construction of the present invention, the movement of the single rocket switch controls the position of the trimmer assembly in a single, one step, easily achieved operation. In this way, the single rocker switch is capable of quickly and easily moving the trimmer assembly from its stored position directly into each of its alternate positions.
As mentioned above, an additional difficulty encountered with prior art trimmer assemblies is the rigidness inherent in virtually all constructions. As a result, once a trimmer assembly is placed in an operative position, the cutting action is activated. However, no vertical movement or vertical adjustability is capable of being provided by the prior art trimmer assemblies. Therefore, substantial discomfort during the shaving operation is frequently encountered as the trimmer passes over the contours found on the user""s skin surface.
In order to overcome this prior art shortcoming, the trimmer assemblies of the present invention are preferably constructed in a manner which enables the trimmer assembly to be longitudinally movable in its normal plane of operation. In this way, a rigid operational position is eliminated and a substantial degree of flexibility and axial deflection is provided. By employing the present invention, the trimmer assembly is flexibly or longitudinally movable along with the contours of the skin surface over which the trimmer is moved. As a result, the varying contours of an individual skin surface are easily accommodated and a smooth, comfortable, close shave is realized.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.